trajectory offset

The next day, everyone was a bit lazy, so no one went out to explore anymore. Yuko had someone book her return flight, and she was going back early the next morning.

In the evening, Onizuka shamelessly invited them to participate in the test of courage, but they ruthlessly refused.

Everyone agreed that they should absolutely not get involved with this unscrupulous teacher, otherwise they felt they would be dragged into strange incidents again.

During this time, Yuko received a call from her brother, and she honestly confessed everything that had happened in Okinawa, which led to Genji Takiya's arrival in Shonan and his fierce battle with Eikichi Onizuka. But that's another story.

After a day of rest, they set off on their return journey. Although there was a minor mishap during the trip, it was ultimately safe and enjoyable.

Upon arriving at the Tokyo airport, the shuttle bus took everyone home. The last group to be dropped off were Mikey, Emma, ​​and Nono. Just before getting off the bus, Nono suddenly said she had something to say.

She stood up from her seat, looking a little nervous. She opened her mouth but couldn't make a sound. Then, as if she had made up her mind, she took a deep breath and said, "Well, there's something I've been wanting to tell everyone, but I didn't know how to bring it up." She paused and continued, "It's... I'm going abroad."

Everyone stopped moving.

Emma didn't quite process what she was saying, so she stood up and placed her hand on Emma's forehead. "You don't have a fever, so why are you suddenly talking nonsense?"

Ye Ye helplessly pulled Emma's hand away: "I'm serious. Actually, my mom had told me before that I should go to her side. This time, she quit her job as a flight attendant and said she would take good care of me from now on."

"This is too sudden..." Even after hearing her explanation, Emma still couldn't accept it.

"Don't make that face." Nono held Emma's hand. "Actually, I'm already very satisfied and have no regrets about being able to leave everyone with such a memory before I leave."

For a moment, no one knew what to say, but the host calmly said, "That's great, being able to be by your biological mother's side."

"Right?" Nono seemed quite relaxed. "It's not like I won't come back. I'll come back to see you guys during my holidays. And we can video chat too. Just call me if you miss me."

When do we depart?

"You'll probably be here the day after tomorrow, so you have to come see me off, or I'll never forgive you for the rest of my life."

In this somber atmosphere, the group said their goodbyes. After the car started, Yuko leaned against the window and watched them leave. In her line of sight, Nono was still trying to liven things up, patting Emma's back as if to tell her not to be sad.

Yuko returned home and sat in a chair in her room, lost in thought, neither resting nor watching TV. Worried, the maid reported this to her father, and after dinner, Takiya Hideo unusually asked Yuko to stay and watch TV with him.

Even so, Yuko didn't utter a single word.

My daughter has grown up.

Takiya Hideo sighed.

Yuko couldn't sleep that night because of the news that Nono was leaving. She tossed and turned, not knowing when she finally fell asleep.

She had another dream.

Having gained experience, she didn't panic like she had the previous times.

Yuko observed the scene in her dream; it seemed to be a rented room. Bottles and other miscellaneous items littered the floor. The television was on, and the people in it were speaking English. Yuko noticed a photograph displayed in a glass cabinet in the corner, with bread and fried noodles laid out in front of it. Yuko went closer and saw clearly that the person in the photograph was Keisuke Machi.

She looked exactly like Keisuke, whom she knew; she hadn't grown up or aged.

Yuko realized that the scene in this dream was forever frozen at the age of fifteen.

Is he dead?

Why?

Before Yuko could think about it further, another thought distracted her.

Who is enshrining the portrait of the deceased at this location?

She frantically searched the rented room and heard the sound of water running from the bathroom. The door was open, so Yuko went inside.

The water in the bathtub was bright red.

The person, stained with blood, leaned to one side, pale and bloodless, with a horrifying knife wound on their neck.

What kind of despair must one feel to slit a carotid artery?

Yuko stood in the overflowing blood, incredulous, then a sharp pain shot through her chest. She dared not take another step, biting her lip and telling herself it was a dream.

This shouldn't be the case.

This shouldn't be happening!

Overwhelmed with grief, Yuko rushed forward and grasped Nono's cold hand, stroking her pale face from blood loss, tears streaming down her face: "Don't be afraid, I will definitely save you, don't be afraid, it'll be alright..."

Yuko woke up crying again.

Unable to hold back her tears, she hugged the blanket to cover her sobs.

She only began to compose herself after a good cry.

The venue is dead.

Ye Ye lived in the United States and committed suicide many years later.

Yuko wiped away her tears with her hands, vowing in her heart that she would never let any of her dreams come true.

Two days later.

Eight o'clock in the morning.

Asanuma Nono and the others were at the airport, and Emma was trying to call Yuko. But her phone had been switched off for the past two days. No one had expected Yuko wouldn't come to see them off. Not only was Yuko absent, but the venue also seemed to have deserted at the last minute.

“I’ll go look for it,” Mikey said to them.

"Does Yuko hate me?" Even the usually carefree Nono couldn't hold back her sobs and burst into tears. She could understand why the venue wasn't there, but the fact that Yuko hadn't shown up was something she couldn't accept.

"How could that be? Yuko isn't that petty." Emma could only comfort her with these words.

"But she never answers the phone. I went to her house to look for her, but she wouldn't see me," Ye Ye said, her voice choked with sobs.

There were still two hours before boarding.

Yuko, who had been missing for two days, was sitting in her usual car. The car curtains blocked out the harsh sunlight. Yuko closed her eyes to rest, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes. She looked a little haggard. She heard the driver, Kuroki, answer a Bluetooth call: "Found it? Okay, keep an eye on it. Miss and I will be there right away."

Kuroki nodded and reported to Yuko, "Found it. Shall we go now?"

Yuko opened her eyes: "Yes, thank you everyone."

Fifteen minutes later, Keisuke Machi, standing on the overpass, saw Yuko. She was wearing her usual expensive-looking dress, her long, flowing black hair styled, and carrying a black leather satchel. Machi had always felt that Yuko belonged to a different world; she looked every bit the wealthy heiress. He glanced at the man in the black suit behind Yuko, holding an umbrella to shield her from the sun—still a well-protected heiress.

He was about to ask Yuko what she wanted from him.

Yuko didn't give him a chance to exchange pleasantries. She raised her hand and clapped her hands lightly, and instantly more than a dozen men in black suits appeared at both ends of the overpass.

"I have something I want to confirm with the venue manager, please come with me." Yuko's words were polite, but her attitude was firm and left no room for refusal.

What is she angry about?

Although Yuko didn't show it, Baji still keenly sensed it. Perhaps intimidated by the aura of a good-natured person when angry, Baji unusually complied and obediently let Yuko lead him by the nose.

Yuko led the group to Musashi Shrine, where they stood in front of the ema (votive plaques) hanging on the shrine. The group remained bewildered throughout, staring at the crowd waiting outside. Although he had always known about Yuko's family background, seeing such a scene still surprised him greatly.

"Those people are all your men?"

"Don't worry about it. The most important thing now is what I'm about to say." After saying that, Yuko handed her backpack to the audience, gesturing for him to open it and take a look.

He opened his backpack, which was full of ema (votive plaques). He took one out and looked at it; it read, "I hope Keisuke is healthy."

“Nono, every year, every time she makes a wish to the gods at the shrine, it’s about you.” Yuko took another one out of her pocket and handed it to him. On it was written the words: “I hope to become Kei’s bride when I grow up.”

The place was silent. He wasn't completely unaware; how could those sitting by the fire not sense it? It was just that they all tacitly refrained from taking any further steps, perhaps all afraid to take that step.

"How could this be?" Even after seeing the evidence, he still refused to admit it.

Yuko reminded him, "She only calls you by your name when she calls you."

"It's just because we're childhood friends and know each other too well."

"She and Manjiro were childhood sweethearts."

The audience was speechless, but they immediately retorted, "We're just siblings."

"Siblings without blood ties? Is this the reason you use to deceive yourself?" Yuko was unusually sharp-tongued. Seeing the shocked expression on Jiro's face, she also felt a little anxious, so she took a breath, looked directly at Jiro as if trying to probe into his heart, and slowly asked, "Is that really so? Jiro-kun, is that really all there is to it?"

The venue remained silent, offering no response.

Yuko was somewhat disappointed, but she wasn't ready to give up: "I've been wondering why she was able to decide to leave." Yuko asked bluntly, "Did she confess her feelings to you?"

"Absolutely not!" the venue quickly denied. How could he not know whether he had received a confession or not?

.

Yuko wasn't surprised and said slowly, "Think about it again. Maybe it was a test or a joke. After all, this coward only dares to tell his wishes to the gods."

Upon hearing this, the venue recalled that when they were in Okinawa, Nono seemed to have asked him what type of girl he liked, but she had asked him this question many times before, and there was nothing special about it.

Yuko was also a little unsure about his reaction, after all, it was all just her guess, but she had to try anyway. Yuko continued to guide him: "I don't know if it's right to tell you this now, but Keisuke-kun." Yuko held his hand, giving him courage and strength, "If you have even a slight regret in your heart, you should tell her, whether you like her or not, you should give her an answer, shouldn't you?"

“It’s pointless now.” Jichang gave a bitter smile. “You know she’s going back to her mother, right? Even though she hasn’t said it, she’s still a kid who needs parents.” This was a secret that only Jichang Keisuke, her childhood friend, knew. No matter how indifferent Nono acted, she always looked at other families with envy in her eyes.

Yuko shook her head: "My mother abandoned me when I was born. When I was little, I missed her, whom I had never met. Even though she chose money over her daughter, I didn't blame her. I even wondered if she had some unspeakable reason for needing that money. When I was twelve, she found me again, but instead of asking how I was doing, she asked me for money. From then on, I understood that not all parents can be called parents."

Asanuma Nono, Sano Emma, ​​and Takiya Yuko all lacked their mothers' involvement during their childhood. Perhaps it was because of their shared interests that they became such close friends.

It was precisely because Yuko understood that not all mothers were good enough that she couldn't help but worry: "Will Nono really be happier over there? In a foreign country, with her mother remarried and no friends around, can that really be her home? Is she also feeling uneasy, but has no reason to convince herself to stay? If I could, I wish I were that reason, but right now, only you can do it."

“Go tell her how you feel. If she still wants to leave, you won’t have any regrets because you didn’t say what you wanted to say.” Yuko said this, but she had already made up her mind. Even if she lost this gamble, she would fly to America and bring Nono back. However, if possible, she didn’t want to use force. She hoped Nono could stay in Japan willingly, and that required a reason.

“The car is waiting outside the shrine. We can still make it now.” Yuko waited anxiously for the driver’s reply. Just when she thought the driver was still hesitating and was considering whether to force him into the car, the driver answered her with his actions.

"Thank you." The field's eyes hardened, and after thanking Yuko, he turned and rushed out.

Yuko watched the figure running across the field and silently prayed: Please keep her here with all your might.

＊

After lending her driver and car to the venue, Yuko got into another car and headed to the airport. The Meteor Society has several gangs of varying sizes, and the people dispatched this time identified themselves as the Sekiguchi Group.

"Thank you all for your help." Yuko, sitting in the back seat, said to the team leader Sekiguchi, who was sitting in the passenger seat. It was their first time meeting. Sekiguchi was not a direct subordinate of Takiya Hideo, but rather a subordinate of a subordinate. However, even though he was not in the core position, he was still the leader of a team. In principle, he could have just come out to say hello and there was no need for him to accompany her.

"Not at all, it's our honor to serve Miss Yuko." Team Leader Sekiguchi replied politely, handing Yuko a business card. "Please don't hesitate to ask if there's anything we can do for you."

Yuko readily accepted the business card and thanked her. As the chairman's daughter, many people had tried to curry favor with her growing up. Yuko had also learned how to respond, and the best way to deal with it was to not respond at all.

Smile, but don't say anything.

That should do it.

Yuko believed that after being rebuffed by her, the Sekiguchi team leader would understand that the chairman's daughter was just the chairman's daughter, not the young master of the Meteor Society, and that her brother was the heir.

There was silence for a moment. The car drove smoothly, following the same route, but the vehicle carrying the venue was nowhere to be seen. She had instructed them to arrive in the shortest possible time. This was why she wasn't in the same car as the venue; if she were in the car, the driver would be hesitant and timid due to concerns for her safety.

Just as Yuko was deep in thought and worry, the car suddenly braked hard. Yuko slumped into the front seat, and before she could understand what was happening, the crew member in the driver's seat unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car aggressively.

"What happened?" Yuko asked, rubbing her forehead.

"You were stopped by some suicidal guy, are you alright, Miss?" The team leader asked if she was injured, making sure that her forehead was only bruised and there was nothing seriously wrong.

"I..." Yuko was speaking when there was a knock on her car window. When she saw the person standing outside the car door, she was stunned.

After the car door was unlocked, she was pulled out of the car by the other party.

After Yuko got off the bus, he grabbed her wrist and forced her to follow behind him. She couldn't help but ask, "Manjiro, what are you doing here?"

“This is not the time to ask that.” Mikey walked over to the motorcycle and let Yuko get on.

Yuko then noticed the Sekiguchi group members lying on the ground, curled up in pain. She asked him in shock, "You didn't do that, did you?"

Mikey's face was ashen, and he seemed to be in a bad mood, but he still responded to Yuko's question: "They came up to fight me right away, and that's how it ended up like this."

Yuko: ...

She explained, "These are my father's men."

Mikey: ?

Yuko: "They took me to the airport."

Mikey: ...

In the end, Yuko went to the airport with Mikey.

The head of the Sekiguchi group even thoughtfully said that he would keep the young lady's relationship a secret.

Despite Yuko's repeated explanations, the other party did not believe her.

＊

Inside the airport.

Emma and the others said goodbye to Nono, and it was time to board the plane.

Nono gazed longingly at the crowd, hoping to see the person she longed to see. In her heart, she couldn't say whether she hoped it was Yuko, or someone else.

All she knew was that in Okinawa, her long-standing unrequited love had come to an end. She had always known that Kei liked gentle women.

For him, there was probably only familial affection between them.

But that's enough.

We must not be greedy anymore.

No matter how much I tell myself to be rational, I can't help but let the memories of these past years float into my mind.

The jacket he threw at me while I was getting wet in the rain.

She found refuge when her parents argued.

He apologized awkwardly when he was angry.

Every little thing she did was a precious source of warmth in her life.

As Ye Ye turned her back, tears welled up in her eyes again.

"Yeye!!!"

Like a beam of intense light, it burned a hole in the gloomy sky, drawing back the curtain of darkness and letting the light pour down.

＊

Yuko, sitting in the back seat, heard the static sound again.

She had a guess in her mind, but to be on the safe side, she needed to wait until Wu Dao returned before she could confirm it.

When they arrived, Asanuma Nono, who was supposed to fly to Los Angeles, stayed behind. Yuko, however, was not excited, but resolute. Perhaps because of some of her actions and decisions, the life trajectories of many people had been derailed, and she could not know whether this derailment was a good thing for them, but she had decided to bear the consequences.

Mikey watched as Yuko gently embraced Nono.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but Yuko seemed to have changed. She seemed somewhat unfamiliar to him, as if Yuko, who had previously been keeping pace with him or even lagging behind, had suddenly taken a giant leap forward. And he could only watch her lonely figure from behind.

,